Baja Summer Slaw

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This bright and colorful salad is a wonderful addition to a summer barbecue. It's packed with tropical flavors and its vague sweetness is a perfect foil for the smoky and spicy flavors that come off a grill. The salad is based on one that was served with seafood, particularly shrimp and lobster, when Bob and I were trekking through Baja Mexico, a very long time ago. We were without chick or child at the time and our spirit of adventure was far larger than our wallets. The Baja had not yet been discovered, so it was still possible to explore the peninsula and the Sea of Cortez on the cheap. We camped and cooked on open fires and every so often we'd dine out. My entree on those occasions was always shellfish because it was fresh and abundant and you could watch it being prepared. Were it not for its freshness, that would have been a strange choice. Pacific lobster, at least in my opinion, lacks the flavor of its Atlantic cousin. It needs something to perk it up and slaws or salads of this type really did the trick. I've fashioned a recipe of sorts for you, but as you read through the ingredients you'll see how you might be able to play with it. I love the freshness of this salad and I think you will, too. It's very easy to make and you can be as creative with the ingredients as you like. It is a lovely slaw, but I must admit I miss the dash of adventure we added all those years ago. Perhaps you can add your own. Here's the recipe.

Baja Summer Slaw...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pineapple juice from canned pineapple tidbits
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-oz.) bag very finely shredded cabbage (angel hair)
1 (8-oz.) can pineapple tidbits packed in pineapple juice
1 cup diced papaya or mango
1 cup diced sweet red bell pepper
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped with seeds and ribs removed
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1) In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine pineapple juice, oil, lime juice, cilantro, cumin,sugar and salt in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well.
2) Combine cabbage, pineapple, papaya, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Add cilantro and stir just before serving. Yield: 6 servings.







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Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw - Brown Eyed Baker
Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw - Inspired 2 Cook
Creole Coleslaw - My Catholic Kitchen
Asian Coleslaw - Elly Says Opa
Pineapple Coleslaw - Good Thymes and Good Food

Papaya-Lime Fool - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm really a mango person, but when life gives you papayas.....deal with it! Several days ago, a well-meaning friend gave me several red-hued papayas. It is not my favorite fruit for eating out of hand, so, I fell back on a recipe that I've had for years but rarely use. I decided to play the fool. While that's a role I relish and play well, I'm really talking about a Papaya Fool. This is an old-fashioned, but delicious dessert, that came to the Americas from England. It is a mixture of strained pureed fruit that is chilled and then folded into whipped cream. It's thought that the name comes from the French verb, fouler, which means to crush or press, though many would argue the point. These days any fruit can be used to make a fool, but in England the gooseberry was the fruit usually associated with this classic dessert. I know that many of you are not keen on using heavy cream in your desserts. A whipped topping will work here, but the finished fool will lack creaminess and feel different on the tongue than the real deal. If you are looking for a dessert that will bring the flavors of the Caribbean to your table you might like to try this. It's nice. It won't make your socks go up and down but it really is a pleasant dessert. The version of the recipe I use comes from Gourmet magazine. Here it is.

Papaya-Lime Fool...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1 large (2 1/2- to 3-lb) firm-ripe papaya (preferably Caribbean or Mexican), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
5 to 8 tablespoons vanilla granulated sugar (see cooks' note, below)
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1-1/4 cups chilled heavy cream

Directions:
1) Mash papaya flesh with a fork until smooth or pulse in a food processor until coarsely puréed. Add 5 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice and stir or pulse to combine. Add more sugar and lime juice to taste (papayas vary in sweetness and acidity).
2) Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks, then fold in papaya mixture gently but thoroughly.
3) Divide among 8 (6-ounce) glasses and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.

Cooks' note: To make vanilla granulated sugar, combine sugar and 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and chopped, in an airtight container and let stand, covered, at least 24 hours. Sift before using.

You might also like these recipes:
Old-Fashioned Blackberry Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Raspberry Yogurt Parfait - One Perfect Bite
Apricot Souffle - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.